Vatican Museums

Vatican Museums

Fruit of collections put up since the Renaissance by the Popes, the Vatican Museums were opened to the ordinary public for the first time after the agreements established in the Lateran Treaty of Rome Italy on February 11th, 1929, when it was established that the Vatican was a separate Country, with its own administration, laws and government.

Back then, the Vatican Museums were only reserved to dignitaries, nobles and kings.

Five miles of galleries, 1.500 rooms, more than 14 between museums and different collections in it. These are just a few numbers to give us an idea of how big and complete are the Vatican Museums, and why they are called “Museums” instead of “Museum” (so many different sections).

The museums of the Etruscans (Etruscan museum); the museum of the ancient Egypt ( Egyptian museum); the Vatican picture gallery, with its famous paintings by Giotto, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, etc.; the Chiaramonti gallery, with its unique Greek and Roman original statues; the museum of modern art; then, the spectacular Raphael’s rooms…Then, the highlight of all the highlits: the Sistine chapel.

Mosaic from Tor Marancia in Rome In some rooms of the Vatican Museums are also preserved a few Roman mosaics from Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli, besides anything that comes from Rome which was owned by the Popes for centuries.